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Here's Why Carhartt Beanies Are the Best Fashion Staple

One winter night, two years ago, I made an offhand comment to my husband: “I want an orange beanie.”

At the time everything in my closet was what a fashion person would describe as “dark neutrals”—black outerwear that matched my collection of black boots and beanies in every shade of gray. It felt safe. It also made dressing for winter feel just as bleak and miserable as the weather.

My husband got the hint. That Christmas he gave me a neon orange Carhartt beanie as a gift, pleased with himself for having tucked away this little tidbit and remembering it weeks later. (He’s really good at that.) I, however, could barely feign excitement. Oh God, I thought, now I actually have to wear color out in public. I hadn’t thought it through. Now I had to figure out how to break my “dark neutrals” streak with the loudest shade of orange available, so bright that my entire complexion tinted tangerine when I wore the hat. It’s an introvert’s worst nightmare—in other words, it was my worst nightmare.

Carhartt Men’s Acrylic Watch Hat A18, $12.99, Amazon

Not long after, another question popped into my mind: Was I even cool enough to pull off Carhartt?

The 130-year-old Michigan-based brand was born out of a need for long-lasting coveralls and durable work jackets that could stand up to the demands of being a blue-collar manual laborer or a railroad worker—“honest value for an honest dollar,” read its tag line. The company has upheld its promise through the years: As technology evolved, so did the quality of garments, introducing of flame- and wind-resistant clothing, denim with reinforced rivets, and outerwear woven with heavy-duty thread.

In the late 1980s skateboarders discovered Carhartt and started wearing its pieces; by the 1990s it had become a part of hip-hop culture. The founding of Carhartt Work in Progress, which fused the workwear aesthetic with streetwear silhouettes, in 1989 made it a phenomenon—and certified cool. Celebrities like Rihanna were photographed wearing Carhartt, and the brand even got the Rizzoli book treatment.

It all made me, a fashion writer, feel very intimidated to wear a simple (if traffic-cone orange) knit beanie.

pRihanna wearing a a hrefhttpsamzn.to2XrLcgB relnofollowneon green Carhartt beaniea in 2012p — Rihanna wearing a neon green Carhartt beanie in 2012

Neil Mockford

My first outing with it on, I was with my husband, on our way to meet up with his friend at a party at an art museum. I was wearing a tie-front top from Rouje and a pair of high-waisted vintage Levi’s. And everywhere I turned, there was a hypebeast in an orange Carhartt beanie just like mine—I must have counted at least 10. A stranger passed by and gave me a nonchalant nod: “Nice beanie,” he said. I’m not gonna lie, I felt weirdly very cool about my outfit.

Once I finally owned a Carhartt beanie, I started noticing them everywhere. This was also at the height of gorpcore, the movement that spotlighted utilitarianism in fashion during which a slew of salt-of-the-earth brands like Patagonia, North Face, Dickies, and yes, Carhartt hit the fashion set. The easiest and cheapest way to co-opt the look was with my very beanie. The Acrylic Watch hat rings in at $28 and it’s available in practically every color, including my beloved orange. It got to the point that, during Fashion Week, a Carhartt beanie became just as ubiquitous as a colorful teddy coat.

I get it. There’s a neat high-low element that’s achieved when you wear a Carhartt beanie—a cool, down-to-earth grittiness that can immediately offset a too-bougie, high-fashion look. And the brand has collaborated with Converse, A.P.C., and Stussy on collections tailored for the fashion set. Now it seems like every celebrity, millennial, and your casual social media users owns one. And once you spot one, you start noticing just how many Carhartt-branded hats are out on the streets.

Sure, it’s gone mainstream. But I still love my neon orange beanie. It’s a gift from my husband, first off. But I also credit it for breaking me out of my one-note winter wardrobe. It’s forced me to step outside my comfort zone when it comes to my style. I’ve even added more color into my outerwear: a mustard yellow puffer, a leopard-print coat, and a siren-red wool jacket. That’s a pretty big deal for me. And if all else fails, my bright Carhartt beanie does the trick.

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Proof Collective's Water-Repellent, Odor-Resistant Denim Jacket Might Be the Ultimate Fall Staple

I would consider a denim jacket to be a staple in anyone’s closet, yet I didn’t own one that I loved and consistently wore. And I happen to be a denim editor.

I attribute this to a number of things: I don’t wear a lot of denim (ironic, I know), I’m very picky when it comes to fit, and, in an ideal world, I need everything in my closet to be versatile enough for a variety of occasions. Plus, I tend to favor oversized, more masculine pieces, and the denim jackets available on the market for women don’t exactly cater to this—always too fitted or cropped for my liking.

If I ever felt the need for a denim jacket, I would reach for my husband’s black Levi’s trucker jacket. Even though I liked that it was too big for me, the proportions felt inherently off—it was cut differently, the shoulders and torso not aligning with my shape. I would push up the sleeves, turn up the cuffs, pull down the shoulders… But still. It wasn’t a viable solution. My husband and I also have a dog and love being active outdoors—translation: Fur, slobber, and dirt are pretty much always on our clothes.

PHOTO: Michelle Sulcov

Because this fabric is considered the workhorse of clothing, denim jackets and jeans should, theoretically be able to transition from an everyday wardrobe to an active one. In my experience, that hasn’t always been the case, though. A denim jacket can be a great as an add-on to an fitness outfit, to style up performance fabrics and tone down the overall active look—but getting a muddy paw print or soaking up in sweat usually means it goes straight into the wash.

So, when Proof Collective promised a trucker jacket made with water- and stain-repellent, odor-resistant technical fabric in the very silhouette I’d been hunting for—oversized, but cropped so it reads cool and effortless, while still being flattering—at an affordable price point? Well, I was intrigued.

Retailing at $195 (currently, it’s available for pre-order), Proof Collective’s signature jacket comes in light blue, dark blue, and faded black. And its fabric delivers on its promises: Water rolls off of the denim almost like a raincoat, and it dries quicker than a regular jacket; stains as heavy as oil or as sticky as wine can be rinsed off with water, or, if dried, removed in the wash. It’s also treated with an antimicrobial that protects against odor-causing bacteria. On top of all of that, the fabric is Bluesign-approved, meaning it’s certified environmentally-friendly and non-toxic.

I wore this jacket consistently for two weeks in the midst of summer in New York: to and from my workout classes (reluctantly putting it on while still dripping sweat); while walking my dog in sunny 90º weather (wiping the sweat from my brow with the sleeves); during one of those sporadic, torrential downpours (hesitantly sticking my arm out from under my umbrella, and watching in disbelief as the rain rolled right off); to the office and on the weekend. The jacket came out on the other side—without a hint of odor, sweat, or stain to show what it had been through.

More importantly to me, though, is that it proved to be the perfect hero item to bridge different gaps in my closet. My work wardrobe and weekend wardrobe are completely different—if I have any errands in the evening, I’ll always have to go home to change first—but this jacket is one of the only pieces I own that works for both work and leisure, morning and evening, without ever looking out of place.

After this summer—i.e. extreme weather—wear-test, I can foresee this jacket being a staple for me year-round. I love that I finally have a piece that has performance qualities while not looking like activewear and that I can wear in almost every situation without worrying about getting it wet or dirty. It might not seem like a huge deal but being as knowing the denim market is part of my job yet I myself didn’t have a tried and true jacket I could vouch for because of fit, color, style, or versatility, this discovery is an incredible addition to my wardrobe. The best part: I no longer have to share my clothes.

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